Pateick -ryan



(No Model.)

P. RYAN.

POOL TABLE.

No. 249,679. I Patented Nov. 15,1881.

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ITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

PATRICK RYAN, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

POOL-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,679, dated November 15, 1881.

Application filed August 29, 1881.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, PATRICK RYAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Pool- Tables, of which the following is a specification.

Billiard and pool tables have been provided with conductors placed within the frame for conveying the balls from the several pockets to a common receptacle. These conductors are applied during the manufacture of-the table, and cannot be put in a table of ordinary form without considerablemutilation, besides which, the conductors not being accessible, there is difficulty in removing the balls in case of stoppage, and the attendant cannot remove the balls untilthey reach the receptacle, as is sometimes desirable in order to save time.

My invention consistsin an open trough applied at the outside of the table in position for receiving the balls and inclined toward one end of the table for conveying the balls thereto, such device beingreadily applicable toany pooltable, and giving access to the balls throughout its whole length, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pool-table fitted with my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a. detail cross-section.

A is the table, provided with pockets (1, as usual. At each of the longer sides of the table a trough or conductor, Z), is secured by screws or othersuitable fastenings. The troughs b incline slightly toward one end of the table, and connect at their lower ends with a double-inclined trough or conductor, 0, that is secured along the end of the table. The lowest point in trough c is preferably at the mid-width of the table, and may connect with a box or other suitable receptacle. The pockets to extend into (No model.)

' the conductors, and have theirlower ends open,

so that the balls entering either pocket shall pass to the trough and run to the lowest point. It is not essential that the pockets at the end of the table above trough 0 be connected with the trough, as they are convenient to the gamekeepers position, and the balls can be removed by hand.

The troughs or conductors are preferably of the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 2, and are open along the bottom to allow escape of pieces of chalk which may get into the poohcts and conductors.

I do not limit myself to any special form of conductor.

It Will be seen that these ball-c0nductors can be readily applied to a table, and, being open at the top, the balls are accessible in cases of stoppage and when itis desired to remove them before they reach the lower point. This is importantfor the reason, well understood by poolplayers, that a certain ball should be returned to the table without delay, while the remaining balls are not returned until the game is finished.

I am aware that a billiard-table has heretofore been provided with conductors 0r channels leading from each pocket to a common receptacle outside of the table, and I therefore lay no claim, broadly, to such invention; but

What I do'claim is v 1. A pool-table provided with open conductors b 0, attached along the outer sides of the table and beneath the bottomless pockets, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a pool-table having bottomless pocketsa, oftheinclined troughs b 0, open at their under side, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

PATRICK RYAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. WALKER, O. SEDGWIOK. 

